English: “FASHION FOR A CAUSE” on Vimeo

Prabal Gurung, designer, Prabal Gurung, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, creative directors, Public School, John Moore, co-founder and creative director, Outerknown, moderated by Simon Collins, founder, Fashion Culture Design.

Designers and fashion houses have taken to the runway to voice their opinions on the current political climate, using their designs as tools of expression to make statements, celebrate their values and pose questions about the future of our world. Such political or societal commentary is not, however, always met with applause all around: some statements can be seen as mere marketing ploys, while others may even be taken as counter-productive to a worthy cause due to the image of fashion houses as purveyors of luxury for the wealthy. So how do you effectively put a message out and what kind of message is the right match for a label and its company’s DNA? This panel debate will explore fashion’s role in current culture and politics, with panellists sharing their unique experiences and discussing the importance of taking a stance and challenging the meaning of fashion in our society.